Cruelest Cut of All
by Starsinger
Summary: Aftermath of Giant Sized Astonishing X-Men. It's a fairy tale, kinda


The Cruelest Cut of All

by Starsinger

**Everyone is out to make some sort of scientific explanation of getting Kitty out of that bullet. Guess what? This is not only improbable, unlikely, but highly fanciful and based kind of a fairy tale. No, Kitty doesn't have a fairy godmother, I think. No, still don't own them, either one of them.**

"There was once a beautiful princess, who was doomed to die by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday. When the day came she fell into a deep slumber and waited for her prince in the room of the highest tower in the castle, waiting for love's true kiss to wake her from her hundred year sleep."

**Kitty**

The statue had been delivered that morning. Emma pulled her cloak around her tightly trying to shield herself against the bitter winter wind. It looked remarkably like the girl…no woman she had grown to know and value. Tears threatened to fall once more. She had been there, she and Xavier, the last to be with her as she slipped away. She wasn't sure she was dead.

Emma laid her hand on the foot of the statue, it wasn't fair. Neither Kitty nor Peter deserved this. She wasn't sure how Kurt and Logan had talked Peter into coming to the memorial service. "Brooding again," a much adored voice sounded behind her.

**You left her to die**

Scott drew Emma into his arms, "This never gets easier."

"I don't know if I could do what she did. She accepted her fate and simply concentrated on saving everyone," Emma whispered.

"I handled telling Peter badly. I deserved his anger," Scott sighed. "I truly wish there were some way to get her back." They headed for the chairs waiting the guests.

**Kitten**

Tears threatened again. She hadn't been allowed to mourn so much had happened. Unlike Peter and Logan, she didn't blame Scott for what happened, but then again, she hadn't been there during the mission.

Peter told her how the materials of Breakworld had been hurting Kitty. How she had heroically hauled him up a hundred meters of the metal at Benetech, and through miles of the planet just to get him safely to his destination. Kitty had always selflessly given of herself. She felt an arm encircle her; she reached up to touch the statue and moved off with T'challa. Maybe her heart would ache a little less today, she doubted it.

**We failed her**

Reed and his family and teammates approached. Silently looking at her. He had simply overestimated the bullet and Kitty's strength. All the wishing in the world wouldn't bring her back. Susan stood beside him, tears streaming down her own face. Franklin had woken up in the middle night, screaming. "Kitty couldn't be dead," he insisted. "She isn't done yet."

It had taken hours to get him calmed down. Children took things the hardest.

**Katzchen, Punkin', Katya**

They had arrived that hour. None of them not sure they really wanted to be here, but they chose to honor their friend. Peter stood at the statue, tears streamed down his face. "Katya," he whispered. "You always promised to come back. The one time you didn't make a promise, you didn't come back."

"Hey Punkin, we're here." A sudden lump formed in his throat, "I shouldn't be here mourning you, I should be giving you away as you married Petey."

Kurt looked at the both of them, sorrow penetrated the air, "Katzchen, come back to us." Logan shook his head in disbelief and understanding as they too strode toward the chairs, Hisako trailing behind.

**Miss Pryde**

Hisako watched as more people filed by. She wondered if anyone would be this moved if she died as well. Hank and Brand moved together, odd combination, ever since Brand had confessed her feelings for the good doctor, things had gone swimmingly.

They'd told her that she'd get used to losing her teammates and friends, but it would never get easier. She took a chair beside Logan as Frost started the service.

"We're here to honor a friend, someone who lost her life doing the impossible. It seems that we should be past wondering what is possible, but even I couldn't believe my eyes when that bullet passed through the Earth. Her final thoughts were of getting that bullet intangible. Not once did she ask 'Why me?' Instead, she asked me to tell Peter that she loved him." She looked at Peter sitting in the audience, tears streaming unashamed down her cheeks.

Her words droned on as Hisako noticed a bright light above the statue behind the podium. Curious, her eyes traced its pattern. It hovered just behind the stage; too much had happened for Hisako to be really surprised, that is, until a voice rang out, "You lost something precious to you."

Emma faltered as she turned around, Ororo stood her heart pounding in her throat, "Goddess, please, don't toy with us."

"I toy with no one," the voice sounded. "What you would do to have her back?"

Peter stood, "Please, anything…"

"No, not you, Logan, Frost come," a door opened up and the two called entered. Another light rested on the ground, motionless. Everyone looked around confused, unable to comprehend what was going on. Ororo approached the pulsing light her heart in her throat as she heard other come up behind her. Minutes later, Logan returned through the door, "Where's Emma?" Scott asked in a strangled whisper.

Logan turned around to look behind him, "She'll be back in a few minutes. I was promised."

"What happened?" Kurt asked.

"I…I'm not sure. We were asked a bunch of questions, nothing to do with Kitty, and then I was allowed to leave. I…" Emma stumbled back through the door which disappeared behind her. She threw her shoulders back and walked over to Scott. The light faded to reveal Kitty, naked. Everyone gawked until the majority of the male population turned their backs.

Peter rushed over to gather her into his arms, "She's not breathing. How can you give her back to us dead?" his voice was anguished.

The light touched the ground as a hand seemed to reach out to stroke his cheek, "Sweet prince, kiss your princess."

"Wait," Emma called. She pulled off her cloak and helped Peter wrap Kitty up in it.

They watched as Peter kissed her, she twitched, then breathed and opened her eyes, "Peter, did I fail? Did everyone die?"

"No, Punkin," Logan smiled, unabashed tears streaming down his own face. "You did it. You saved everyone."

"Then, where am I?" she peered upwards at the monstrosity towering over them all, "What the hell is that?"

Chuckles went round as Kurt answered, "No, Katzchen, that was our tribute to you. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I blacked out in the bullet, and now I'm here? Why? How long have I been gone?"

"A few months, you've missed a lot," Ororo replied reaching out to stroke her cheek. Kitty fell asleep in Peter's arms, gasping everyone seemed to reach out to check her pulse, it was simply sleep.

Reed tried to commandeer her from Peter's arms as he walked back to the school with her in his arms. He wanted to examine her. Peter turned and glared at him, "Leave us alone."

Hank laid a hand on Peter's arm, "Take her up to your old room, I'll be up to examine her later."

When Emma came up to retrieve her cloak with Hank in tow, Kitty was dressed in one of Peter's oversized shirts. Peter thanked her as he watched Hank's rather thorough examination of his love. Hank pronounced her in remarkably good shape and suggested that Peter only let Reed get his hands on her if she consented. Peter nodded, he watched Kitty as if he was afraid she'd disappear. He probably was.

As they left Emma arched an eyebrow at her furry companion, "There's something you're not telling us."

Hank smiled, "When I examined her I detected a second heart beat." He walked back down the corridor without a backwards glance.

"The valiant prince fought his way through a fiery dragon and a wall of thorns to find his way to the topmost tower. There, he found the beautiful princess still sleeping. He bent down to kiss her and she awoke. They lived happily ever after."

**Okay, absurd and impractical, but, I'm a romantic at heart. Let somebody else think of a plausible way of getting her back.**


End file.
